On March 6, students, educators, artists, and activists from all across the city of Portland will gather at Paccini Restaurant & Bar for "Northwest Fresh." Located on Portland State University's campus, 1717 SW Park Ave., live art will serve as a backdrop to the evening's lineup of DJs, emcees, poets and singers. The collaboration will showcase local talent, with a portion of the event's proceeds going to The Black Parent Initiative (www.thebpi.org), a community-based organization committed to addressing the significant and longstanding educational and life challenges facing Black families in the Portland area. Northwest Fresh has become a monthly celebration of diversity and creativity. The on-campus setting allows for a mix of ages, classes, cultures, and ethnicities, providing a little something for everyone. Paccini Restaurant and bar was created to offer high quality scratch cooking at an affordable price and in a comfortable and friendly atmosphere. It was opened by Jason Kallingal, a graduate of The University of Portland. He was frustrated with limited eating options as a college student on a budget. Immediately after college he teamed up with Chef Tim Fuhrman to create Paccini Restaurant and bar. It is a goal of Paccini Restaurant to establish deep roots within the community and offer a stringboard for student creativity.